Lexington, SC 03/11/2025 (Paul Kirby) - Amari Smith, age 24, of Columbia, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the mass shooting that occurred on April 16, 2022, at Columbiana Mall in the Harbison area of Lexington County.
Smith pled guilty on November 1, 2024, following the trial of the State of South Carolina vs. Jewayne Price in a Lexington County courtroom. Price was convicted in October for his role in the mall shooting and was sentenced to 35 years.
This case was prosecuted by Eleventh Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard and Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes. Smith pled guilty to one count of Attempted Murder and 9 counts of Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature. This plea came after 9 civilian bystanders were injured by gunfire while shopping at the Columbiana Center Mall on Easter weekend of 2022. The sentence was imposed by Judge Walton J. McLeod IV.
An additional co-defendant, Marquise Robinson, 22 of Columbia, was convicted by a Lexington County jury after a separate trial in November of 2024. His crimes included 9 counts of Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature in connection with the mall shooting. Robinson has not been sentenced at this time.
On the afternoon of Saturday, April 16, 2022, Columbiana Mall was filled with employees, browsers and shoppers. The patrons included families with a cross section of society such as married couples, the elderly, parents with their children, and even infants in strollers.
Price arrived at the mall with his girlfriend and was illegally carrying a concealed pistol in his pants. Video surveillance shows Price entering through a main entrance marked with signs prohibiting concealed weapons from being carried inside the mall.
Meanwhile, Smith and Robinson also entered the mall carrying concealed weapons in their waistbands. Smith and Robinson arrived together, and they also entered through a main entrance marked with signs prohibiting concealed weapons.
The investigation further determined that Smith and Robinson had a pre-existing dispute with Jewayne Price, as a result of the 2018 shooting death of Amon Rice, age 17, in Columbia. The dispute escalated when the parties crossed paths at the mall. Video surveillance showed Price pulling a 9 mm pistol from under his clothes and aiming it at Robinson. Robinson and Smith also pulled out their firearms. Price and Smith exchanged numerous rounds. Those struck 9 innocent bystanders. Price, Smith, and Robinson were not injured during the shootout.
The case was investigated by the Columbia Police Department (CPD) and their crime scene investigators. The investigation determined that at least 17 rounds were fired inside the main area of the mall near The Gap store. 11 rounds were matched to Price’s 9 mm Glock pistol. The remaining 6 rounds were fired by the unrecovered gun that had been in the possession of Smith. Robinson’s .40 caliber firearm was later recovered by law enforcement and one spent shell casing was found in the gun’s chamber.
A Lexington County Sheriff’s Department CSI reconstruction expert determined that 6 victims sustained gunshot wounds from Smith’s pistol, including a 15-year-old girl and her 16-year-old brother who were shopping at the mall with their father during Easter weekend.
Following the sentence, 11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard commented, “Once again, the Court addressed the violent nature of this mass shooting. Many lives and families were permanently affected by this tragic event. We hope to reassure the public that acts of violence will not be tolerated in our community.”
Prior to imposing the sentence, Judge McLeod stated that the sentence reflects the necessary “consequences” when multiple persons are injured by gunfire in a crowded public setting.
Smith will be transported to the S.C. Department of Corrections to begin immediate service of his sentence.
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